The ministry of tourism is considering a Bihar government proposal to develop the birthplace of Goddess Sita in the state as a tourist spot, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
In a written reply, Minister of Tourism K J Alphons said the ministry had received a project proposal - Development of Ramayana Circuit - Sitamarhi-Dharbhanga-Buxur under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
Alphons said this in reply to a query by BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP, Prabhat Jha, on whether the ministry had received any proposal from the Bihar Government on the development of Sita's birthplace believed to be in Sitamarhi in the state.
"The project shall be sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable detailed project reports, adherence to scheme guidelines and utilisation of funds released earlier," he added.
Sita's birthplace is disputed. It is believed to be either in Sitamarhi district or in Janakpur in Nepal.
Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district, around 140km north of Patna, is believed to be where Sita was found by king Janak while he was ploughing a field as part of rituals to alleviate drought. It is believed that she was later brought up at his palace in Janakpur, in modern-day Nepal.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the reconstruction of a Sita temple located on 20 acre of land in Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district in April this year.